A national movement opposing the Rasmalé project has been launched, with former home minister Imran Abdulla calling for the land to remain in Maldivian hands.
The government has agreed to allocate 500 hectares of reclaimed land at Rasmalé to UAE-based Eagle Hills. Several political figures have criticised the arrangement. Imran Abdulla said the “Dhivehinge Bim Dhivehinah” (Maldivian land for Maldivians) movement brings together voices that have separately opposed the deal.
He stated that not a single square foot of Maldivian land should be given to foreign entities or those who support them, and that any decision on land or lagoons must involve public consultation and benefit citizens. The movement will continue until the government cancels the project, he said.
Imran described the project as a serious threat to national sovereignty and urged all political parties, civil society groups, businesses and citizens to join. He claimed that history shows Maldivians have always resisted threats to the country’s independence.
The campaign was announced on 19 October.